Draft Dominator FAQ

Click on the Draft Dominator Screen Shots link on the main Footballguys.com page. This link does a good job of showing you and explaining what it does. The applications forum has a ton of information too. The easiest thing to do is to download it and try it out for yourself.

What are all the downloads on the Draft Dominator Page?

For subscribers:

Version 4.0 Full. This is for new users who have not downloaded the Draft Dominator this year. It is rather big at 4 MB. It contains the projections, however if you have downloaded a previous version, it will not overwrite them. In this case you still need to download the Projections G1 Update. Once installed, download and install the version 4.1a to get the latest version.

Version 4.1a Update. This is just an update. It does not contain any projections. It will now work if you do not have a previous version installed.

Projections G1 Update. This it the latest projections. If you downloaded the update, then you will need to run this as well, if you want the latest projections.

For non-subscribers:

Version 3.0 Beta 1 is the Full version. This needs to be downloaded first.

Version 3.0 Beta 3a Update. This is the update version. It will not work if you do not have a previous version installed.

Projections F1 Update. This it the latest projections for non-subscribers.

I don't have a laptop. Can I still use the Draft Dominator?

You bet! You can print Cheatsheets and Top 200 customized to your scoring system and league variables. You can use it to run mock drafts, so that you will be prepared for your draft. You can also use it to build Draft Dominator Lite files for your PocketPC or Palm. See bottom of FAQ for more information about DD Lite.

I don't have MS Excel. Can I still use the Draft Dominator?

Yep. It works without MS Excel. All of the VBD stuff is built right in. Enter your scoring system, league variables, projections, etc. right into the Draft Dominator.

Where is the manual? Everytime I click Help->Users Manual I get a "Not available at this time" message.

The manual is in the works, but I don't have a release date. In the meantime there is a readme.txt file in the C:\Program Files\DraftDominator subdirectory, that has a Quick Start Guide. The Applications Forum has a ton of information too. You can ask specific questions here as well.

What does the forward slash and a number mean after a team in the player pool? (example: Buf/9)

The 9 is the bye week.

I have a draft this weekend. Will there be any new projections between now and then?

We are shooting to release projections every Friday from now until Sept 1st.

How can I tell what version of the projection updates the software is using?

Right now there is not a good way to tell. If in doubt just install the latest projection update from the Draft Dominator download page.

I downloaded the latest version, and now my player pool doesn't show up. What gives?

Try installing the Projections G1 update...

If this doesn't fix the problem then try uninstalling the DD. Then go to the C:\Program Files\DraftDominator subdirectory and delete any remaining files (except for any *.ddf files if you have saved any leagues). Then reinstall Version 4.0 Full followed by the version 4.1a update, if you are a subscriber, or Version beta 1 followed by version 3.a if you are not a subscriber.

I'm in an Auction League, but I don't see any Auction Stuff?

Click File->Setup->General and check the Auction Support On/Off checkbox.

I'm in an Auction League, and we don't draft by round / pick?

Just ignore the round and pick. When a player is selected, select the player in the player pool, enter the amount paid, select the team from the combo box, and then click move player.

My Team Views are sorted by Round and Pick. Is there any way to sort by Position?

Click File->Setup->General and check the Sort Team View by Pos checkbox.

I'm in a Serpentine Draft, but the Pick Order is wrong. Do I have to change every entry?

If you enter your team names in the order of the first round in the File->Setup->Team Names screen, then it will do the Serpentine order automatically.

My league doesn't use a Serpentine Draft. Is there a way to pick another order?

Click File->Setup->Pick Order. From here you can use the combo boxes to do it, but it is pretty slow going. For a faster way, just type in the team number followed by the down arrow key. This will update the combo box automatically.

What does ADP stand for?

ADP = Average Draft Position. It is derived from Antsports.com. It tells when a player is likely to go in a normal draft.

What does Dropoff, Drop Value, Need Mult, and DVBD stand for? How can I best use these?

Dropoff: The projected number that will be taken based on the number of picks you are looking ahead.

Drop value: This is the Absolute value of the top player at the position against what will be there after the number of picks you have defined.

Need Mult: Secret formula that analyzes your team and decides the best way way to strengthen it. For Example if you have two QBs and only start 1, your team has little to no need for a third QB. This is an extremely intense calculation, but it basically just spits out a number.

DVBD: is the Absolute VBD value multiplied by the Need Mult value.

The DVBD is typically what you want to draft by, but sometimes it is not. A high Drop value with low need could still be the right selection (for trades/depth, etc).

Here is How I suggest everyone uses this tool to have the Perfect draft.

When you are on the clock, run it looking at 24 picks ahead. Then run it at 36 picks ahead. Look at DVBD for position to draft. Click on that tab on the Draft dominator and make sure that player best helps you via bye weeks, etc. Also look at Average Draft data and see if said player might be around when you draft again.

The fact that this application can do all of these intense calculations is extremely powerful. But for best results, don't blindly take what it tells you.

How do I add Player Notes?

Select the player in the Player Pool or Team View, Right Click and select Edit Notes.

Are the Player Notes good for all leagues?

Yep. They are saved along with the projections.

When I update the projections are they going to wipe out my Player Notes?

Nope. They will be retained.

I'm afraid my laptop is going to lock up on me during the Draft. Can I save it as it is taking place?

Sure. Just click File->Save League and give it a name. If something does happen. Just reboot, start Draft Dominator, and click File->Open Saved League.

I imported the VBD, but it did not bring in my scoring stuff. What am I doing wrong?

Yeah... the VBD spreadsheet only brings in the projections and auction information. You will have to renter the scoring information. The good news is that once you save it... you won't have to enter the scoring information ever again.

I imported the VBD, but why are the values not the same?

Even though it is bringing in the projections from the VBD... it is still doing its own calculations. They are supposed to be identical or very close. Several others have complained that they are off a little. So I'm going to look at it this weekend.

I click Windows->Saved View, and it went to something weird. How do I save my views?

The views are saved each time you exit the program. Arrange them the way you want, and the exit the program. Now go back into it and move them around... and then click the Windows->View Saved. They should go back the way they were the last time you exited.

I'm in a Keeper League. I entered my Keepers, but it does not skip the corresponding pick. How do I get it to skip a pick?

For Keepers make sure you use the Keeper List. Click View->Keeper List to make it appear. Select the player from the Player Pool. Then enter the Round and Pick that the player counts against (it is important to enter both the round and pick). Select the desired team. Enter the Amount Paid for Auction leagues. Then click the Move player button. This should add the player to the Keeper List, Draft Summary, and the corresponding team.

I added a player to the wrong team by mistake. How do I move him to another team?

Select the player on the Team View and then Right Click and select the correct team. You can also send him back to the Player Pool.

How do you trade picks?

Click File->Setup->Pick Order and switch the corresponding picks. You can do this as the draft if going on.

How do you trade a player after he has been drafted?

Select the player on the Team View and then Right Click and select the new team.

How do you run a Mock Draft?

First the Player Pool must be full. The easiest way to do this is click File->Setup and then click OK. Click the Move Player Button. Once the Move Player button is selected, hold down the Enter Key.

I ran a mock draft and it didn't draft any Kickers or Defenses for my team?

After 10 rounds or so, you are going to have to override the suggested pick and start filling out your rosters.

I ran a mock draft and it didn't draft any IDP Players for my team?

The IDP players do not currently have ADP numbers... so they do not get drafted. David is looking at adding these to the projections. When he does this will work better.

How do I print the Draft Summary?

You can't directly. However, you can open up the *.ddf file (where * is the name of your league) in notepad, and then scroll down to the [Draft Summary] section. Highlight everything in this section, and then click Copy. Then open up MS Excel and then click Paste. From here you can format and print it any way you like. I plan on adding this in the near future.

I saved my teams, but now I can't find where to open it?

The file is saved as a *csv file in your C:\Program Files\DraftDominator subdirectory. Just double click on it to open with MS Excel. If you don't have Excel, you can open it with Notepad.

OK. I got my Draft Dominator on my Desktop computer. How do I get it to my Laptop?

The Draft Dominator Setup files are bigger than a floppy. You are either going to have to burn the setup files on a CD, or use a network to transfer the files over, or download them directly to the laptop. See the top of the FAQ for which setup files you need. If you have created league files on your Desktop, you can copy the *.ddf files over from your C:\Program Files\DraftDominator subdirectory. The Player Notes are in a PlayerNotes.dat file in the same subdirectory. If you changed the projections, then copy the Players.dat and Auction.dat files too. Also copy the DraftDominator.ini file.

My league starts X-QBs, Y-RBs, Z-WRs, etc. How should I set my values?

The general formula is to enter your minimum starters in each category. Then subtract the total of the minimum starters from the maximum starters, and enter this value into the Flex value. If you need more help then this, then check out the Applications Forum. You can request help there as well.

What is an Easter Egg? And how do I find it?

An Easter Egg is a term used for a hidden surprise in the program.

Here is a hint to get you started:

To unlock this little gem
Click Help->About on a whim
Type a code with length of three
that is the foundation of FBG
and of course it rhymes with me...

Does the Draft Dominator run on Windows 95?

Yep. Win95, Win98, WinNT, WinME, Win2000, WinXP, etc. Your probably going to want at least 32 MB of memory to run it.

Does the Draft Dominator run on a Mac?

Only if you have Virtual PC. Or at least that is what I'm told. I don't have access to a MAC to try it out. The Applications Forum has some more info for mac users. Just search for MAC.

Are you planning to write a Mac version?

Not at this time.

Are you planning on writing a Unix or Linux version?

Not at this time.

What is DD Lite?

It is a scaled down version for the PocketPC and Palm.

Does it contain everything that the PC contains?

It is fairly lite in features. The four screens that you see in the screen shots are pretty much it. The first one allows you to check the players off. The 2nd keeps track of your team only, the third one keeps track of how many of each position has been taken, and the 4th lets you find a player based on a partial name.

Hopefully next year we can add more functionality to it.

How do I get enter my Scoring and League Variables on the DD Lite?

You set the scoring and league variables from the DD (PC Version), and then create a DDLite file that is downloaded to the PocketPC or Palm. This way the ranking is the same as it would be on the DD (PC version).

For PocketPC: Click File->Save DDLite File Pocket PC. Then copy this file to your \My Documents\Personal subdirectory.

For Palm: Click File->Save DDLite File Palm. This creates a DDLiteFile.pdb file in your C:\Program Files\DraftDominator subdirectory. Install this file on you palm with the Palm Desktop.

How do I reset the Player Pool List on the DD Lite?

One option is to unclick all of the players. The other option is listed below:

For PocketPC: Save the file as a different name. Then when you want reset the player pool, open the orginal file.

For Palm: Delete the DD Lite program, and then reinstall it with the Palm Desktop.

I got the files downloaded to my Palm. But when I tap on it I get error code 519 open player pool. Click ok then I get error 515 close data base player, and then 515 again ...what's up?

You are getting this error because there is no data file on the Palm. To create a data file do the following: Click File->Save DDLite File Palm. This creates a DDLiteFile.pdb file in your C:\Program Files\DraftDominator subdirectory. Install this file on you palm with the Palm Desktop.

Thanks and have a great 2003 season!